FLEP-COOP Initiative

FLEP-COOP Mentorship Program 2024-2025

FLEP Graduation 2025

About FLEP-COOP Initiative

The Female Leaders Mentorship Programme for Co-operative (FLEP-COOP Initiative), was launched as a flagship mentorship program designed to empower female leaders in cooperative organizations across Kenya. The initiative formed part of the DGRV Project in Kenya (2024–2026), financed by BMZ, and supported by the State Department of Cooperatives, cooperative organizations nationwide, and DGRV Kenya’s project partners.

The first cohort ran from June 2024 to December 2025, bringing together 12 aspiring female cooperative leaders, competitively selected through a national application process. These mentees, aged between 18 and 40, represented diverse cooperative backgrounds from six different regions of the country.

Throughout the program, mentees received guidance in monthly mentoring sessions from experienced female cooperative leaders who shared their own career journeys and showcased success in cooperative leadership. This mentorship supported the mentees to grow both professionally and personally, strengthening their capacity to lead and inspire within the cooperative movement.

By the end of December 2025, all 12 mentees successfully graduated from the program, marking a significant milestone in building the next generation of women leaders in Kenya’s cooperative sector. The graduates are now equipped with enhanced leadership skills, stronger networks, and renewed confidence to take on greater responsibilities within their organizations.

The completion of the first cohort demonstrates the transformative impact of mentorship in advancing women’s leadership. FLEP-Coop has laid a strong foundation for future cohorts and continues to inspire inclusivity, resilience, and innovation in Kenya’s cooperative movement.

Women Leaders in Co-operatives

The United Nations continues to highlight the disadvantages women and girls face in both personal and professional contexts. Under Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 5 – Target 5.5, the global commitment is clear:

“Ensure women’s full and effective participation and equal opportunities for leadership at all levels of decision-making in political, economic and public life.”

In Kenya’s cooperative sector, women account for only about 30% of co-operative membership, and their representation in leadership roles is even lower. Yet, research demonstrates that when women have equal access to resources, they achieve 20–30% higher productivity compared to men. Furthermore, women reinvest up to 90% of their income back into families and communities, while men reinvest about half.

These outcomes underscore the transformative potential of women’s leadership. When women are empowered to lead, they strengthen cooperative governance, foster fellowship among women, and generate broader social and economic benefits. At the community level, cooperatives serve as powerful incubators for this change, offering platforms where women can build networks, share knowledge, and drive inclusive growth.

The graduation of the first FLEP-Coop cohort demonstrates how mentorship can directly advance these goals. By equipping women with leadership skills, confidence, and visibility, the program has contributed to greater inclusivity and resilience within Kenya’s cooperative movement, aligning with the country’s commitment to SDG 5.

Objectives of FLEP-COOP 

1. Analyze the factors contributing to gender disparity in co-operative leadership.
2. Identify opportunities for increasing female representation in co-operative leadership. 
3. Raise awareness about the various ways women can contribute through active engagement in co-operatives. 
4. Facilitate networking opportunities. 
5. Provide a safe space for women to discuss their leadership ambitions, experiences and needs. 
6. Foster discrimination free dialogue between with co-operative policymakers and women.  
7. Design working spaces for women in leadership positions in co-operatives which combine family and career. 
8. Building leadership confidence among the mentees. 
9. Promote the social and entrepreneurial benefits an increased female leadership in co-operatives has. 
10. Articulate feasible ways to increase women’s willingness to be elected leaders in co-operatives.